Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
by FAIRxxVIEW
Summary: PTSD is a mental health disorder that can occur after experiencing or seeing something traumatic. It can be minor. It can be serious. Sometimes it can be deadly. Sequel to REHABILITATION. Likely contains Hal, Ben, Maggie, Tom and perhaps other character whump! Rated T. Psychological whump can be disturbing for some readers. Please proceed with caution and pay attention to notes!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: That took awhile. Funny thing is I didn't spend any of that week typing this. I spent it taking a huge breather and working on my summer assignment for school. xD I wrote this all just a couple minutes ago. Decided my breather had turned into a _really long_ breather. Anyway. This is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, sequel to Rehabilitation. I will try to balance the psychological whump with physical whump and will include Maggie, Ben, Tom, and possibly others into the wonderful world of whumpiness! Also, read and review if you want something! Or to keep me working. I will update this every two days, probably. Just to be clear, I do not write any kind of romance... though I might point out some. I can't write about what I don't have! And before this becomes longer than the actual story, have fun and welcome to the second story!

* * *

**HAL POV**

Two weeks ago our world had changed. We had looked out over the forests of the mountain to see a wasteland of our former cities, and a war between skitters. The fish-heads had left. The ships were gone. Harnessed children were still under control but no longer seemed interested in us, unless they were with the other side. Less and less children were being harnessed by the day, and the attacks on us were minimal.

We had learned two things.

The skitters had once been harnessed on their own planet, and like some kids, some were able to fight the effects of the harness and controls. They rebelled. The others, still under control, continued to fight despite the lack of guidance from the fish-heads.

Harnessed kids for the rebellion came to us and other resistance groups to explain what had happened and to ask our help to save our planet. When the electromagnetic pulse had been released to destroy our planes and missile guidance systems, the aliens hadn't expected such a powerful containment for the most dangerous of bombs that protected them from being damaged. They hadn't expected some of their skitters to turn on them and release the bombs on that designated day. Most of the major cities containing the fish-heads and their ships had been obliterated by a kind of vaporizing warhead that left little to no radiation behind. I wasn't sure how, but I was glad we didn't have to deal with any nuclear fallout. Since most of their army had been destroyed, the remaining fish-heads fled. Apparently it was a plan that had been spread around the world, so not only the cities in the States had been wiped.

I tried to feel happy. I did in a way. Most of our enemy was dead. But at the same time, so were thousands of survivors living in the undergrounds of those cities; dead, gone, vaporized. As much as I understood this need to destroy the enemy, I wasn't morally capable of accepting the number of casualties that had come along with it.

At first I thought their story was bullshit. Just another plan to destroy us from the inside out. But eventually it began to make sense. And eventually, I believed it fully. We had a few more survivors and the skitters had even allowed us to de-harness some of the children who wished to be Others, for some reason, wanted to keep their harnesses on. In a few cases we saw how severe the transformation got after many, many months of captivity. Their were covered in orange crusty scales from head to toe, with increased strength, speed, stamina, and extreme sensitivities to sound and light. Some had grown extra fingers. Others had bent spines that made them almost stand on all fours. Some even had fangs growing in around their mouths. I still flinched at the sight of them, wishing I wouldn't because it's not their fault. And besides. It couldn't be changed. I just hoped the same didn't continue to happen to Ben.

We now had 120 survivors and the skitters had moved their war somewhere else. We defended mostly, caught somewhere in the confusion of not knowing who was a friend (or at least neutral) and who was an ally. And in the middle of it all... winter came.

It was bitterly cold. Someone had the stupid idea to set up camp on – or near – the tip of a mountain to wait out winter. The first storm happened yesterday. It dumped a foot of icy rain that soon froze and then another foot of snow. Then some more ice on top just to make sure someone stepping outside and broke their neck. For the most part, my boots protected me from the ice, but on the sudden occasion I stepped through a spot deep enough, the ice on top cut into the skin at the tip of the boot rim, making me curse and rage at the night. I wasn't the only one starting to go stir crazy. Several people were getting short tempered and irritable, shouting at people and even some raising their guns on someone. It was getting hard to control order when those meant to protect everyone were the ones causing the most trouble. There simply wasn't enough clothing to go around. Most people had jackets. Few – not including me – actually had winter coats. Even less – also including me – had extra pants to wear in layers. We all had gloves, but not the good kind to protect us from the cold. And hats were mostly out of the question. So those on patrol during the day froze, and those on patrol during the night were icicles by morning.

And that meant sickness. The cold and the flu was sweeping its way – literally – up the mountain side. Many fighters were lying in beds sick with and vomiting because of the extremes of the weather, and kids especially were getting the brunt of it. It was only a matter of time before it spread beyond the kids and – so far – few fighters that had it. And for those of us who weren't sick... we had to take up more patrols for longer hours and try to stay alive in the process.

Which was where I found myself. The freezing cold air burned down my throat with every breath, nearly lighting my lungs up into a coughing of fire. I wasn't sick. This was normal for me. Every single year, the icy cold would stream down into my lungs and practically set my chest on fire. I coughed only because I needed to get warmth into my lungs and chest. I rarely ever got sick, and the times I did I was always diagnosed with strep. I should have had my tonsils removed as a kid but at the time, doctors believed tonsils were still needed. Or at least, mine did.

I wish he had gotten them out. Even if they do try to fight an infection they always lose and end up getting me even more sick than I should have been.

It was night. I was alone. Usually someone was with me, but we had to cut back a lot. I stumbled through the snow, half blinded by the wind and completely blinded by the dark. I tried to listen to something beyond my own ragged breathing and coughing and the ice crunching under my boots but no sounds came. I was panicking slightly, because there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind that something was following me. And I couldn't see. And I couldn't hear.

Things had actually lightened up a lot in the past few days. Since the fish-heads have left and we had felt a lot less hunted and disheartened, people began to hope for good things to happen and for us to finally win. Fighters became less alert. People began to stop paying attention for signs of trouble. We became pampered and unprepared. Nothing had happened so far but I was worried then when hell broke less again – and I was sure it would before everything really began to get better – that we would be in for some deep trouble. No one would be sure what to do.

More footsteps. My bad leg slipped into the ice which cut into the skin and made me wince heavily. Slowly I pulled it from the snow, knowing it was bleeding. It had cut dangerously close to the lowest of my gun wound scars. The third had hit my shin, had made walking a great difficulty because I had no strength. Now, I could feel the weakness between my knee and my shin. It was as though something was missing. It always ached, like a constant, distant throb that may flare up at any moment. Like right now. Wincing, I held back a hiss and forced myself to keep walking. I swear whatever was following me was laughing at me. Fear flooded me. I began to move forward, faster, breaking into a jog. I could feel it move faster, following me, mocking my pace. It was toying with me, knowing I could never outrun it. Knowing I was easy prey.

All I could think of was a skitter, or one of the machine like creatures we had destroyed awhile ago. I kept going, shutting my eyes and hoping for the best. _Whack!_

Closing my eyes wasn't the best idea. I realized that as I slammed face first into a tree and sprawled into the ice that pierced my skin as I rolled onto my back. I scrabbled backwards on the ground, half expecting the thing following me to sink its claws or teeth into me. Nothing happened, and my heart pounded against its ribcage, reminding me to breathe. I peered into the darkness, but at the same time, not too hard. I was scared of what I was going to see. I raised my gun, squinting slightly. Then remembered my flashlight.

Fumbling, I turned it on, preparing to spray it with bullets.

There was nothing there. But I still felt like something was following me. Hunting me. Struggling to my feet I kept my flashlight on all the way back to our camp, flicking it behind me every so often just to knock back whatever creature was there, trying to hunt me down in the dark of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: Okay. Update! Thanks for reviews! And yes, creepy is good. :D I have an idea... yet I cannot share it... it must be a surprise or else the full effect will be lost! :0 Be prepared... I won't make you wait too many chapters for the surprise.

* * *

**BEN POV**

I walked steadily across the icy snows. It had dropped several more degrees today, and the ice had frozen to the point where I couldn't even step through it into the snow. Several times I almost slipped, but managed to catch myself. My reflexes prevented me from cracking my head on the ice like another fighter had done just earlier that day. I was walking to the only heated vehicle we had. We no longer had to worry about beamers locating our heat signatures because they had long since been destroyed. We needed to keep going. It was only the tip of winter and we couldn't wait out the next few months freezing to death on this mountain. Weaver wouldn't listen. Apparently we were safest here. Yes, safest from our enemies. Not from the cold though. I was mostly indifferent to the winter chill. But today it went beyond my abilities to be able to take the cold. I shivered and rubbed my hands together, my teeth trying not to clatter. The heated bus was packed. There was little room to even enter it. Even so, everyone gathered around the outside and let the warmth from the vehicle itself seep through the walls into their body.

That's when I saw the little boy sitting a long ways away, on the ice, with everyone giving him a wide berth. He was probably nine or ten – Matt's age – and was one of the harnessed kids left behind with us. He still had his harness, having refused to take it off and no one was going to force him to remove it. He wanted the harness. He wanted to transform – whatever that meant. I didn't understand how he could live his skitters after what they did to him, but apparently he had a different experience than me. He face was covered in flakes and scales, his eyes yellow in colour, hair almost completely gone. His fingers were clawed and he now had an extra, small claw on each hand – like a sixth finger – and arching curves around his mouth that looked a lot like fangs. Looking at him, I felt a strong sense of sympathy. Everyone was treating him like he was a freak or a monster. He was just a kid. Still just a kid. I walked over to him, not caring that I was cold. He was unresponsive until I knelt down in front of him and smiled at him, trying to comfort him enough that he wouldn't be scared or angry at me.

"What's your name? I'm Ben," I said, waiting to see some flicker of human recognition in his eyes, but they remained dead. He didn't seem to care one way or the other that someone went to talk to him. In fact, I wasn't sure he even knew he was human anymore. Did he remember his name? Did he even remember anyone of his old life? His parents, siblings, friends, things he used to do? Did he care? I tried to wonder. But then I was scared and didn't want to think that far.

"My name is John," the boy said, with a voice so blank that I wondered if he had any consciousness left.

I looked out among the trees beyond, not sure what I was going to say. For a moment I though I saw something flickering through the leaves. Keeping my eye on it, I said "I was harnessed once too. But not as long. I got it removed. I still have spikes, though," I added, not completely sure where I wanted to go with my conversation.

"I miss my guardian," John said.

In the trees, it moved again and vanished.

* * *

**HAL POV**

By now I was beyond tired. It was the third morning in a row I had woken up screaming from a nightmare I couldn't remember. I shouldn't say screaming exactly. Just about to whenever I woke. All I knew was that every time I woke in the darkness I knew something was there. Nothing anyone could say was going to change that. My hands were shaking violently as I moved outside, bumping into someone. It was still very early morning and the sun hadn't risen yet. I jerked away in panic, letting out a cross between a snarl and yelp. My hands went out and others caught my wrists to stop me from attacking the person.

"Hal, it's just me!" Ben's voice came to me over the sound of my blood racing in my ears and as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I gradually recognized him.

"Ben? What are you doing out here?" I asked, feeling slightly irritated. What was he doing, walking around in the dark scaring everyone half to death? And by everyone it meant me, but my heart was still racing and I was trying to calm myself down.

"I was just out for a walk..." Ben asked, sounding confused. I bit back what I wanted to say, feeling confused myself. Why was I so angry? It wasn't a big deal. Then I remembered the feeling of being watched and followed. The feeling that I wasn't alone in the dark – and I wasn't talking about other people. Things, monsters, beasts. Something wasn't safe. It followed me no matter where I want. And Ben might be able to understand.

"Did you notice anything... out of the ordinary while you were walking?" I asked, feeling a sharp tension in my chest. I felt suffocated. Unable to breathe or move. It was right behind me, I knew it. I was shaking violently but hoped Ben wouldn't notice. The cold was making my leg ache unbelievably. He would probably assume my shaking was shivering.

"No... nothing at all," Ben said, but there was something in his voice that seemed guarded. I didn't question him though. I needed him to see the _thing_standing behind me that was going to hurt us. He didn't. "It's cold out here, bro. You should get back inside."

And with that, he walked right past me, straight through the creature that I knew was there but could not be seen. Why couldn't he see it? Perhaps it was hiding now. Watching from the distance. Yet I could still feel its hot breath on the back of my neck, watching me. And it waited.

I shut my eyes and released a long shudder, sinking slowly to the ground. The wind whistled around me, and the ice clung through the skin not covered by my gloves. My knee burned severely, making me bite back a childish whimper. Behind me, at the entrance of our little room, the ground crackled where it walked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: Mixing the psychological with the supernatural it seems! In any case... both accomplish the same thing! :D

Feeling ill lately. Will try to improve my chapters soon.

* * *

**BEN POV**

I had no idea what was going on with Hal, but he was being incredibly jumpy and irritable today. Snapping at me last night was just the tip of the iceberg – today he had nearly bitten my head off six times and it was barely noon. I'd never seen anyone so nervous before, either. Every small rustling made him flinch and spin around – every loud noise made him duck down and pull out his weapon, regardless of whether it had a source or not. Most of the time it was just someone working on a vehicle and dropping or knocking something over. I wasn't saying I wasn't being jumpy either but it was starting to worry me. Today we were going out on a day patrol, and we were already exhausted. I hadn't slept very well, and apparently neither had he. My eyes were hardly open as I walked, and whenever I opened them I could've sworn something dark was shifting through the trees. I kept them closed, relying on my senses to guide me, until Hal smashed into me suddenly and knocked me flat on my back onto the ground. I gasped down a breath and turned my flashlight on. He had landed right against me and was scrabbling away, trying to get as far back as possible.

"Hal! What are you doing?" I asked, then saw the blatant panic in his eyes. I cast my light out into the trees. My heart leaped into my throat. For a moment I saw nothing, just the snowy forest tops. And then there it was; something in the trees, watching us. I didn't see it at first because it blended in with the rest of the trees, hidden in the darkness cast down by the shadows of the trees. I only saw the outline of it as it turned and vanished into the trees.

* * *

**TOM POV**

I was running. It was pitch black, and the only warning I had of obstacles were the sudden light shadows of them across the land. I couldn't see. All I knew was that something was following me, chasing me through the trees. I tripped and stumbled, scraping my hands on the ground. Dragging myself back to my feet, I kept running, trying to ignore the sounds of heavy, animal-like breathing following me. There was crunching, then a growling snarl or howl – and suddenly I was falling forward, pinned flat to the ground. Coughing, I gasped for air, managing to roll around. I saw flashing fangs and felt the fur of the beast, and then there was pain in my chest. I yelled, and suddenly it vanished. I staggered to my feet. It snarled in my ear.

I ran again, knowing all I could do was try to get away, but also well aware of the fact that it was simply toying with me. I was nothing but its little play thing that it would dispose of when bored. I didn't care though. I had to run.

That's when the ground began to shake to the point that I fell over, unable to catch myself. I tried to struggle, feeling a sudden weight holding my arms. My eyes shot open and I recognized Anne just as I rolled always, falling to the floor. I was practically wheezing, my chest heaving as my heart raced at a speed well beyond my own comprehension. I looked around wildly, half expecting some kind of beast from my dream to be in the room, attacking. It had felt so real. I still hurt where the claws had slashed down my chest.

"Tom, you're bleeding," Anne said, concerned as she knelt down in front of me. I looked down. My shirt was torn by several claws and the shirt was thick with blood.

* * *

**HAL POV**

I had no idea what Ben was talking about. I hadn't seen anything. I had simply _known_ something was there. I felt it breathing in my ear, heard it walking across the snow and ice. I sensed it. Felt it. Something had touched me, and I had jerked away and slammed into Ben. Now he was saying that he had seen something in the trees. I had been looking in the same general direction but didn't notice I. I just sensed it there. Whatever was going on had to stop. I couldn't keep my hands from shaking as we began to head back to the camp, knowing better than to keep going. If there was something unknown out in the woods, we had to go back and tell someone.

We were nearing to the camp when we heard it. Both of us, this time. Footsteps crunching through the ice into the soft snow beneath. Somewhere behind us something was moving. We both stopped and shared a glance. I didn't want to turn around. The air was practically spiked with danger. I could feel the tension a mile away. My heart started to pound again. I raised my gun, ready to turn. Once again I shared a glance with Ben. His eyes said _now. _I took a second to compose myself. This had to be the thing that'd been following us around for days. I was going to kill it.

We both spun, ready to shoot.

There was nothing there. I felt confused. Then suddenly scared to the point I jerked around. I didn't get to see in time. One moment I was spinning to see what it was standing behind us, and the next something hard and heavy smashed me across my face. I fell backwards, stunned, as blood splashed around my face. I reached up, touching my half numb, half stinging face to feel the warmth of blood dripping down my cheek and forehead as I opened my eyes. Grunting, I felt the world spinning around me, leaving me dazed and confused. My focus was gone. My vision and hearing distorted. There was a brief pause in the world around me as I waited for my senses to come back so I could fight. That's when Ben fell limp and heavy against my chest.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: A lot of stuff happening. Pay attention to the end. And.. there's lots of gore in this. Really. Blood everywhere. Here, there, up on mars, down in Venus... wherever you can think of! Anyway. Squeee! Next!

* * *

**HAL POV**

"Ben!" I shouted his name, immediately squirming and pushing him as carefully as I could off me. I rolled, kneeling over him, trying to see. His eyes were shut be I could see his chest rising and falling. I tried to look for wounds, but his dark clothing prevented me from noticing anything, until I grabbed at his chest to try and shake him awake and felt blood on my hands. Shit. I couldn't tell how deep the wound was but he clearly wasn't conscious. He wasn't moving at all. I felt a pang of worry, and then a stronger, more powerful pang of fear. _It_ was still here.

Before I could do anything something slammed me down flat on top of Ben, and the breath rushed out of me in one powerful stream. Gulping down air, I began to thrash and squirm, trying to get free, but to no avail. The creature had me pinned, and suddenly I was aware of a powerful odour. I could feel it breathing near my ear, its chest huffing, breath snorting from its nostrils. My heart was racing. I tried to struggle more, but could hardly move. Something sharp was digging into my back. I bit back a whimper of pain, jaw clenched, trying not to make a sound. I began to play dead. It was like an animal of some sort. Heavy, powerful, body, rancid stench, growling and snarling. What did it want with us? What exactly _was_ it? I had no idea. I couldn't even see it. All that I was really aware of was that it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Then the weight was gone, and for a moment I thought it was leaving. Its claws sunk into my back and tossed carelessly awake like I was nothing more than a rag doll. I hit something hard as I landed, knocking the breath out of me once again. My body ached. Everything swam out of focus for a moment.

When I was able to see again I thought I saw an enormous shape moving towards me, eyes dark red even in the blackness of my hazy vision, before I completely lost consciousness.

* * *

**MAGGIE POV**

My dreams were filled with blood. Red, black, white... it splattered across the walls, filled the grounds with a rapid pool. I was sickened, my stomach whirling at the very sight and stench of blood, and I tried to run. There were no doors, no windows. It was a room. I was wading through the blood up to my waste, and then there was something floating along in it. I walked closer, my heart racing. Then I pulled back, eyes wide with disgust, feeling for sure that I was going to vomit. A yellowed skeleton lay in the blood pool, floating along from wall to wall. All I could see was its head and upper body and the tops of its finger bones. I turned. A skitter ran at me, snarling, about to attack.

I jolted awake gasping for air, my stomach churning. I barely made it outside before I vomited in the snow, making me tremble and cough and gasp for air. Sickness blazed in the pit of my stomach, and I rubbed at my throbbing head. Groaning, I turned to go back inside and lay down in bed. I must have the flu.

"Maggie?" A familiar female voice – the one I wasn't looking forward to hearing – called out to me. I turned to see Anne walking over to me looking worried. I probably looked like crap. I felt like it too. My eyes were having trouble staying open. I was sure I was going to throw up again. My throat burned all the way down to the tops of my lungs. "Are you feeling okay?"

I bit back a sarcastic remark – I had always been irritable when sick – and tried to lie. "Yes." My voice came out broken and swollen and I immediately began to cough. That upset my stomach more and I gagged, trying to hold in sickness.

"Come with me," she said, grabbing me gently – but firmly – with one hand and leading me away towards the med bus. "If you're sick I need to keep you away from everyone who isn't. And you need to rest, and can't do that with people tromping in and out all the time," she told me, but I was still burning with stubborn pride. I hated being sick. I hated others noticing that I was sick. It reminded me of all the times I was in the hospital, getting treatment... my family always watching and waiting and hoping I would be alright when I was just tired and wanted to end it all.

Finally the nausea became too much. I shook her off and turned to one side, puking all over the snow. My sides and stomach ached and I coughed heavily, feeling pain throbbing throbbing through my entire body. Vaguely I was aware of being held onto because I was about to collapse.

"Easy," Anne said, helping me back into a standing straight position. With a grimace I turned and was about to follow her into the med bus when someone screamed.

Then another person screamed. Then several more all began to scream at once. I turned to see one of the skitter half-breeds carrying two unmoving bodies back into the camp. I couldn't see who it was from here but all I saw was that they were wearing fighter's clothes and I _knew_ that Hal and Ben had gone out this morning on a patrol.

Ignoring Anne I began to run forward, unaware that many others were drawing out their weapons and were pointing them at the half-breed. I knew it was them before I was able to get close. Someone grabbed me by my arm and pulled me back.

"Wait," Weaver ordered, walking past me with his gun aimed directly at the boy's head.

"It attacked them," the boy said, sounding strange even to my ears that were a little plugged. "It's still out there."

No one was paying him any attention. Someone seemed to have decided he was a threat. Before Weaver could say anything, a trigger was pulled. The half-breed hit the ground dead, blood spraying out of his back. Several people ran forward screaming at him to cease fire but it was too late. The boy was dead. I ran forward when the bullets stopped flying, trying to keep my stomach steady and found Hal and Ben, both bloody and unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: Next update! I had a doctor's appointment today and finally got an inhalor so I'm not dying in a corner from asthma sometime. xP And didn't have as much time to write As it is... I am a fan of creating creatures, if you haven't noticed. C:

* * *

**TOM POV**

I was distracted from my doze by the sounds of screaming and then guns firing. Leaping to my feet I wandered out if the medical bus, rubbing my bandaged chest. I was still slightly disoriented and alarmed from the realistic dream and wondered what on earth was going on around here. These things simply shouldn't be happening. Things in dreams should not be happening in real life. According to Anne I had scratched myself in my sleep while writhing in a panic and struggling through my nightmare. It had happened before, apparently. To many people. It was a sign of stress or emotional problems after trauma... I shut my eyes, wiping the sweat from my face. Despite the fact it was freezing, anxiety made me nervous which made me sweat – and there had been a lot of anxiety lately. Not just from me. And when I walked outside and took in the scene around me, everything seemed to freeze. What the hell had just happened? What was wrong with people? A mutant kid lay dead on the ground with blood soaking around him. It took me a moment but I eventually recognized the boy – John, I think his name was. Maggie was kneeling beside two unmoving bodies beside the boy and my heart froze even more. No. It couldn't be.

"Hal! Ben!" I screamed, running through the crowd, ignoring the several people trying to hold me back. I dropped down beside them. There was a deep wound in Ben's chest that was spouting blood and Maggie was trying to hold clothing down on it, to stop the flow. He looked incredibly pale and there were claw marks on his hands and arms – defensive marks. Hal was bleeding from his face and head. Both were breathing and I felt an immediate, powerful sense of relief. They were alive. What had happened? My teeth were clenched and touched one of the claw marks on Ben's arm. It was most certainly not human. Some kind of animal had done this. I couldn't help but think of the creature in my dream.

"Get back!" Anne ordered, but I didn't move and simply watched as she took over Maggie's position, applying pressure to the open wound. Anger blazed through me and I stood to spin and face the crowd of fighters.

"Who shot them?" I snarled, which won me a few flinches and several people backing away from me.

"He wasn't shot," Anne responded quickly, and I turned to look at her. "He was stabbed by something. A claw. Check Hal," she added. I moved to Hal and saw nothing but bloody gashes on his face and more hidden in his hair – judging by the amount of blood sopping down his head. Then I rolled him over. I saw several stab wounds and gaping holes in his back, making me cringe and start to press down on them with my hands. Strangely they weren't very deep and hadn't bled too much.

I looked at the dead mutant. Then at Weaver who was looking at the body in clear disapproval. He hadn't authorized the boy be shot. I wanted to beat whoever shot him. I wanted to know what had happened and now I had to wait for my sons to wake up before I got answers.

I looked into the trees where they had come from. A trail of blood led deep into the woods, where I thought I saw a pair of eyes blink away into the darkness.

* * *

**BEN POV**

I woke with a dull pain in my chest and throbbing along my entire torso. My arms felt like a cat had dug its claws into them a couple of times, then shredded them even harder for good measure. I released a kind of annoyed growl and opened my eyes as I felt a hand brushing my chest which made it throb even more. I was lying on a cot in the medical bus. My half time home these days. My dad was there. For a moment I was confused, and then I remembered.

I sat up immediately, lunging for a weapon of any kind to protect myself from that _thing_. I had seen its eyes. Its dark red, empty eyes. I had felt its coldness and its hate. I had tried to protect myself, using my arms to defend my face and chest from the claws until it broke through and plunged them deep into my chest. The pain had knocked me out immediately.

"Ben, lie down!" Tom growled, pushing me back onto the cot. I glared up at him.

"Where's Hal?" I begged, suddenly feeling fear. Last I knew he was on the ground half conscious, an easy victim to the creature. I looked around, seeing him lying completely unconscious on another bed. I tried to sit up again. I couldn't see the extent of the damage. My dad wouldn't let me. He shoved me back down again, making me snarl in frustration. I was perfectly fine. Why couldn't he see that? I didn't need rest. I'd had all I'd need for the rest of the day – or night, depending. I needed to make sure my _brother_ was okay. I glared at him, but then my rage broke. He looked so tired, like he hadn't slept in days. I knew he wasn't trying to get on my nerves. He just wanted us safe.

"He's fine, Ben. I'm just waiting for him to wake up. Anne says you'll both be okay in a few days with rest. Now what happened out there?" He asked, eying me worriedly.

For the longest moment I was silent, trying to remember everything. This was important, right? That thing must still be out there. I certainly hadn't killed it. And if it was still out there then it could be waiting for another unsuspecting party to walk through...

"We were out walking and it attacked us. It knocked Hal to the ground and I tried to fight it. I managed to stab it with my knife but I don't remember anything after it sunk its claws into my chest. It was an animal... but nothing normal. I don't know what kind it was. I don't think it's supposed to be here. It's nothing we've ever seen or heard of before." I frowned, trying to remember. "It stood on its hind legs."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: Season finale tonight? What. Already? Where'd the rest of the season go?! Anyway. Here's the update! :D Some stuff. Some plot. Some mortal info. And no - I wanted to make a werewolf but decided that'd be stretching it a bit too far.

* * *

**HAL POV**

A jolting throb in my back woke me, and I opened my eyes half-expecting sharp claws to be waiting for me. Instead I was lying in a bed, and had the realization that the thing was either dead or still prowling out there. Sitting up immediately, I found the bus was empty. Surprised, I began to get up, feeling the weakness in my legs as I limped for the door, wondering what was going on out there to get everyone's attention. Struggling to the door I was surprised to find it hanging open off its hinges. My heart began to race. What had happened? I staggered out of the bus without a second thought. Several guns were pointed at something lying bloodied and unmoving on the ground. I saw soft white fur and long, curved claws, completely riddled with bullet holes. I moved closer. Its body was still, unmoving. It wasn't breathing. It was dead. It looked so familiar. I walked a little closer, as one of the fighter's poked it with his gun. When it made no move it was ordered clear. I watched as they rolled it onto its back, revealing sharp, glistening fangs that were stained red with blood. It had an animal-like muzzle, a large snout, and big, pointy ears. It's tail was long and curved around its body. It had four legs. On its back were razor-like scales pointing out of its fur. A harnessed... what... a wolf? It looked mutated, like some of the kids who had been harnessed for longer.

Had the skitters and fish-heads begun to harness animals too?

Something crackled in the bushes. I spun, with several others, and looked. A dark grey form melted away into the trees, but not before its furious howl could be heard throughout the camp and across the skies. People in the clearing shared an unsettled glance. I began to back away until I bumped into someone's chest. I turned. Ben. I remembered pressing against his chest and feeling thick clots of blood against my hand. He looked okay now, though. Slightly bothered.

"They harnessed animals too?" I asked, looking back at the body of the mutated wolf. Ben looked on with a blank, unknown look in his gaze.

"I never saw them... but I guess they did."

"Hal! Ben!" Tom yelled, waving us over. My dad had a couple of scratches across his cheek and more on his arm – deeper than the mild ones on his face. He looked around in disbelief at the animal with the harness – albeit, a different looking harness than the ones humans wore – and then into the trees where the other disappeared. "We're leaving. It's not safe sitting around here any longer."

The order had been given. People were moving quickly, hurrying to pick up all the pieces of their camp so they could leave as quickly as possible. I couldn't blame them. I'd be happy to get out of here as fast as possible too.

Unfortunately, the events were continuing to lead up to destroy our plans.

It began to storm. Due to the shock of the recent events, no one had particularly noticed the sky turning a swirling white to a dark grey, almost black colour as the storm clouds moved in. Before we could get anywhere far, the winds had picked up. A lot. Gusts of air practically blew us over, sending us skidding across the icy snow, trying to hide inside from the icy lashes they brought to us. Instead of packing, everyone dropped what they were doing and ran for cover. Mountains are well known for their fast, sudden, and dangerous changes in weather. It could be sunny one moment and spitting snow and ice the next. Everyone left the snow white animal outside as they went. I got in the bus just in time for the first few flakes of snow to fall before the blizzard began. We weren't going anywhere. Not for awhile at least. Not with the sounds of trees falling around us and the near constant roar of the wind at our backs.

* * *

**SKITTER REBELLION BATTLEFIELD**

The war raged on. Our harasses, every clutching out backs and held in place by the mutation carried in its tract were dead. It was not controlling us. There was no hand at our throats, no overlord in our minds telling us what to do, when to do it, how to do it... our minds were in control. We were free once again. The only thing standing in our way were our former playmates, siblings, and friends from our own childhood on our world far from here, still under control. We had no choice. It was death or freedom. We did not know if their minds could ever be saved. We did no know if we could ever get them back. And it was safer to kill them first. The machines used to fight against them were beginning to dwindle. So were theirs, of course. But the battle was slowing as more and more of us from both sides died. Before the invasion of our home planet, we had never fought. We had been a peaceful species – almost humanoid in nature, but with fur, tails, and claws. We had been more advanced technologically. Our world had been beautiful and pristine. Earth wasn't like it. But it was all we had. And there was nothing else we could do. Perhaps, one day, if we won, we could help the humans at restoring their planet and make a new home – make one as beautiful as our old place.

By now it didn't seem like it. There were bodies everywhere – skitters and machines, robots, humans, mutants – and half of the 'country' was uninhabitable by humans. Radiation could not harm us or the harnessed humans who were already changed inside and immune to the effects of the poison clouds left behind in the vaporization. It wasn't a nuclear bomb – the winds would have blown the radiation everywhere, killing off everyone. It was simply the settled aftereffect in the very stone or earth of the areas hit by the bomb. Perhaps one day we could fix that.

But not today. The enemy was advancing. They had resorted to harnessing the innocent creatures of the planet – dogs and cats and any animal they could find – to aid them in their battle. The after-effects were dangerous and tragic.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: What the heck was that? NOO. They can't do that to Hal! Do it to Weaver or someone who isn't so cute. Pfff. Okay. Was it just me or was the alien at the end of the finale kinda... cute as well? xD Ahem. Next chapter. Excuse any research mistakes.

* * *

**MAGGIE POV**

I woke with a nasty coughing that shook and throbbed my chest. I had stopped being sick last night, and now what remained was the headache, coughing, and pain my muscles – signature of throwing up. I tried to push away the throbbing in the back of my skull and between my eyes but it stuck with me, growing stronger at the moment. I remembered the days of Tylenol with a pang. I had had headaches worse than this during my days with brain cancer, but this was a different kind of headache. It came and went, making me dizzy, and was accompanied with all the sicknesses of the flus. I sneezed, only making it worse to the point where I thought I was going to be sick again. I held as still as possible, waiting for the ache to lower just a little bit. The pressure in my skull did loosen, but not enough. Coughing again, it felt like there was fire burning up my throat. Breathing was slightly difficult because I couldn't stop coughing. Eventually someone pushed something near my mouth. My eyes shot open. Anne was there with an air mask at my face. Eventually I was beginning to feel the air entering my mouth and filling my lungs. The coughing ceased. I felt really tired still but I didn't want to rest. I wanted to know what was happening. If we were still going to leave I wanted to help pick up. But my eyes are already closing and I lost consciousness quickly.

* * *

**TOM POV**

"What's wrong with her?" I asked, walking over with concern. Ben and Hal were resting on other beds. It was still storming badly and I had woken up to the sound of severe coughing and choking. Maggie looked as pale as a ghost. Her breath was rasping and thick, and she sounded as though she was suffocating on air. The sound seemed disturbingly familiar. Anne was sitting her up, the air mask on her voice, and she must have fallen unconscious because her eyes shut and the panic-breathing stopped. I stayed back, partly out of alarm that whatever she had was contagious, and partly because I didn't want to get in the way.

Anne didn't even look at me. "She might have gotten pneumonia," she said in a carefully focused voice.

No wonder it had sounded familiar. When Matt was four he had gotten seriously sick with a cold that developed into pneumonia so severe that we almost lost him. I remembered his coughing the first night that had kept everyone in the house awake as we waited for morning. He had coughed until his throat was raw and had kept on going, and finally we understood the severity of it enough to bring him to the hospital. He had remained their for several days as they worked to get the fluid out of his lungs and keep him from dying. As long as I lived I never wanted to see another case of pneumonia again – even though many cases don't get that severe. To this day Matt didn't remember anything about it, and I was glad he didn't. From what I have heard, pneumonia was like drowning in your own lungs.

"What do we need?" I asked, tensely. We couldn't go anywhere. We had no way to get to another city – if there were any left – or find more supplies beyond what we already had. I didn't know if we had everything that would be needed. I hadn't been allowed to see Matt much while he was in the hospital so I wasn't sure what they had given him – all I really cared was that it worked.

"She's probably had it for a few days.. that's why she was sick yesterday... Look in the cabinets above the sinks. We should have something labeled _Cephalexin_ or _Amoxicillan_."

Immediately I checked the cabinets and the first thing I saw was _Cephalexin_. Grabbing several of the bottles I hurried back.

"What's this do?" I asked. Was pneumonia a lung infection? I kept thinking so, but I wasn't the doctor. And what if it got worse? We couldn't do _anything_. We were caught at a standstill for at least another day depending on when the storm decided to blow over.

"It's an antibiotic," she said, still completely focused on her duties and simply grabbing the bottles. "Pneumonia is usually a bacterial infection and as long as she takes these – and _rests_, she'll be fine," she said, though sounded concerned still. I understood. Things like this progressed beyond anyone's understanding. One day Matt was sick with a cold, and the next he was coughing himself into unconscious because he couldn't breathe.

"The best thing for her would be to get of this damned mountain," Anne said, just quiet enough for me to have to strain to hear.

I looked out the window, at the blizzard that continued to whip snow back and forth and the wind crashing against he ground and forest. There was probably ice out there too, and we'd have a mess to clean ourselves out of when it was over. For now, we just had to sit and wait. For about ten minutes there was complete silence I the med bus before Hal woke, rolling off the bed only stagger against the side because his leg didn't take his weight, which woke Ben.

"What's happening?" The middle son asked rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Is it still storming?" Moments like this made me remember the days before the invasion where people were normal and did normal things, and weren't worried about being attacked at any moment. Then I saw Hal struggling to right himself again and sighed. Things were never going to be the same again.

"No, it's still storming," Hal said, looking out the window at the nearly white scene beyond. "I'm just clumsy and made a lot of noise," he said, as cheerfully as he could manage.

The air stank of sickness. Both of them must have noticed but neither made any motion to get away from it. They didn't care. No one did. They simply had to wait it out and hope things would get better. As long as whatever it was outside stayed outside. Perhaps it too would be beat back by the storm.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: Dun dun dun. I'm feeling particularly evil tonight. Cliff hanger galore! Bahah! I'm sorry. I hope no one has a coronary waiting for the next update. No hints. :P And thank god I'm not the only one who thought that alien was cute! lol.

* * *

**HAL POV**

When the snow finally stopped, the buses and and vehicles were practically buried. The amount outside the door prevented us from getting out until someone from another bus climbed out the hatch and managed to dig everyone out. The area was a mess. Trees were down, branches scattered, and roads blocked. There was no way we were going to get out of here. Ice had built up around the tires of our vehicles, locking them in place. There was at least three foot more snow than there had been earlier. Something was nagging at me. This was all too perfect for a simple ice storm. It could have happened at any times, but instead it was the exact moment we had gone to leave. And now more people were sick, and Maggie had pneumonia. I sat beside her bed, feeling worn out and confused. There was something wrong with this place. Ever since the bombs had gone off, things had gotten more weird than ever. Harnessed animals... and although I couldn't be sure of this, something was strange about the weather. We were now stuck here with that harnessed wolf, among other things, with no way of getting out unless we walked – and half of us wouldn't make it. I probably wouldn't make it. Maggie sure as heck wouldn't. Our best chance would be to sit around and wait for things to get better and _hope_ that thing didn't attack us. But it would. It was angry. And whoever was controlling it – if someone or something was – wasn't happy with us either. The first one had been killed only by chance. Someone saw something move and had fired away into the trees, scaring the thing out of hiding. It had been too easy. The other seemed more careful. And it would be more careful. There was nothing we could do about it.

A soft whimper beside made me jump and look down. Maggie was waking up, though was clearly very uncomfortable. No sooner did she open her eyes did she begin to cough. Not easy coughing, but deep, painful, heavy coughing. Anne had told me to make her take an pill as soon as she woke up. I waited for her coughing to quiet down just enough that she could probably be able to hear me.

"Maggie? I need you to take this... so you'll feel better," I said, grabbing the glass of water. She coughed again, but at least she managed to pop the pill in her mouth and swallow it – without the water. She coughed again and finally took a few sips of water. Her voice rasped as she tried to talk, and I couldn't understand any of it. I looked into her eyes and saw a look of terror in her eyes, and I immediately froze to the spot. Her eyes weren't on me. Was she hallucinating? Completely lost it? I wasn't sure. What was going on in her mind? She tried to speak again, but all that came out was a whisper that grated heavily on my nerves.

I got as close as possible, trying to quiet her gently by calming her down, but she started shaking and head and convulsing on the bed. "Maggie?" I started to spin. "Doctor Glass!" I shouted, hoping she could hear me. And then I saw the window. And what was beyond it, watching us with blood red eyes and bared fangs.

* * *

**BEN POV**

I was startled around by the sound of smashing metal and windows. I turned immediately. A huge grey wolf was tearing at the roof of the med bus with its claws, and then smashed through the windows on the side with its hind legs. As soon as the glass shattered, it climbed down and began to lunge through the windows, aiming for someone inside. And I knew that Hal was in there with Maggie. I ran forward, pulling out the gun. As soon as I and several others cocked it, it vanished. In the blink of an eye, it was gone. I began to lower my gun before I felt a thrill of fear. I spun and fired, but long claws slashed the gun in half and knocked me to the ground. I only got one bullet in its forearm. It looked like it was about to slash me open when the rest of the fighters – seemingly noticing my gunfire – began to fire on it. Once again it vanished. The sound of multiple people screaming in pain and terror rang in my ears as I struggled to my feet again. Four fighters were unmoving in the dirt, covered in blood. Another was ripped in half right in front of me. I stared in amazement for a moment before I managed to get my act together and _move_.

I ran forward. Then I saw my dad. For one terrifying moment I watched as he shot the creature in the back, which vanished. I moved towards him as fast as possible, but by then it was too late. I dropped to the ground, grabbed the gun of a fallen fighter, and shot at the creature as it ran its claws right through my dads upper shoulder. Both bullets struck it in the stomach. For a moment everything froze. It disappeared again. I fell to my knees, waiting for the blow to strike. My eyes shut.

It never came.

My eyes opened. The wolf was crouched over me, teeth bared, the spiking harness on its back lit up bright blue. Vaguely I wondered if my own were glowing but I realized I still had my mind and my thoughts, so it must not be. Instead, I watched as the blankness in its own red eyes faded away. That's when I noticed the figure behind it. A human. Blue lights lit up along its back. It turned and walked away. The wolf snarled at me, teeth bared to lunge for my throat. I half instinctively grabbed its jaws to stop it, and tried to wrestle against it. The creature was overpowering my quickly. I gasped as I saw its pointed fangs inches from my face.

_Snap._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes**: I hope no one died from that cliff hanger... anyway... here's a bit of a non-cliff hanger if you have insight. ;P So that's all. && Not sure what I'm gonna be doing to continue. I have multiple trails I could walk on but not sure which one... well... I will get there when I get there!

* * *

**BEN POV**

Frozen. I could only shut my eyes and wait. Something snapped beside my ear, sharp and loud. I flinched, expecting pain, but nothing came. My eyes shot open. Dark red eyes stared into me, but they were vague and empty, and in another moment, the creature fell limply on top of me. I gasped for air as the weight of it shocked me, and then it was shoved off of me. I looked up blearily, trying to control the panic that was jolting through me. That had been so close. More so than I had ever expected. Looking at it, I saw something like a industrial sized pair of scissors sticking out of the back of its neck. It lay dead, it's neck probably crushed by the sheers, and I took a moment to close my eyes again and breathe out a sigh of relief. I was still alive. I looked beyond the creature. My dad was looking at me with a strange expression that suddenly melted into relief and concern. I looked beyond him at the field of dead. Several trucks had been torn apart and there were bodies lying strewn across the snow, and spattered across the ground were things I would never have wanted to see, and now could never forget. I felt sick, and quickly turned my head away even though the sight of it still remained burned in my mind. I sat up very slowly, somehow able to revel in the fact that I hadn't been torn – literally – to pieces like some of the others had been. Heaving out a breath I looked at the creature. The lights on its harness were blue again. I stiffened, half expecting them to connect to me – and half expecting the thing to leap to its feet and attack me again. But the harness went dark, and somewhere in the world around us I heard a ring of static flowing sharply through my ears. I shuddered slightly as it passed, then turned to look up at dad, who was still bleeding heavily from his right shoulder.

"Dad, you're hurt," I rasped, feeling slightly suffocated from the entire collection of events. How could this be happening? Clearly harnessing animals wasn't going to work. Were they even under control? What had that figure been, standing behind the wolf? Had it been its controller? Or perhaps just a watching bystander. Maybe even a skitter itself.

Then I remembered. The med bus. Maggie. Hal.

I ran past my dad without a second thought, not even hearing him call my name as I went straight for the door. I had no idea where Anne or Lourdes were but I knew they hadn't been in there at the time of the attack. I had just left it, and they had gone out earlier.

I darted in, expecting the worst. What I got wasn't much better.

* * *

**HAL POV**

Blood spattered the walls, windows (what remained) and floors. The shattered glass reflected the scarlet glint of blood both my own and that of the wolf. I felt dizziness ruling me, as I sunk to the floor, somehow managing to spot Maggie lying unmoving on the ground. I couldn't tell if she was hurt or not. When I had seen the thing staring through the window at me, I had immediately lunged for the gun. But it had been faster. Somehow it smashed through the window and peeled away a piece of the roof, and in the short space between the window and both of us, had scored its claws deeply across my chest and stomach. Now I lay on the ground, holding the gushing wound, trying to check on Maggie. It was getting harder and harder to see, and by now I could only hold her up against my shoulder as I leaned into the floor. My eyes were closing on their own and I felt a deep chill settling across my entire body. Numb, chilling pain began to settle through my limbs and my head grew fuzzy. I was tired and cold, but strangely the pain was fading away into nothingness.

"Hal!" Someone screamed my name, and some part of me recognized the voice as Ben's. That's before I passed out, unable to respond, move, or stay awake.

* * *

**UNDEFINED POV**

I hadn't meant to attack the human settlement. I would have chosen to let them be and live and save themselves because they weren't the real enemy. They were simply trying to survive in their own planet. The real enemy was out there – the skitters who were actually dangerous and rebelling against their overlords... the overlords who were now gone. We had switched to default. Defend ourselves. But the animals were out of control. I could not force them to do anything. They ignored my commands. I could try and stop them but it was only for a small amount of time. Instead, they tore apart anything they found. It was a mistake. Harnessing animals with unaltered human harnesses. They were built differently than animals – thought differently – acted differently. They ran by instinct and a powerful inner feeling that humans – so strong in their logic and rationale – lacked. When they attacked, they hit everyone and everything. I had watched one tear apart our own comrades – one on its own side – without another thought or motion. They were mistakes. It was too late.

As I watched the destruction of the settlement, I began to feel. Actually feel. It had been hundreds of years since I had 'felt' anything. Hundreds of years since something was my own. Without the overlords, I had my own thoughts, but was still stuck on the path they had given me. I looked at the scattered limbs and innards of these 'humans' and felt a kind of disgusted dismay. We had caused this. They were not an enemy unless they were a threat. And they were not a threat. They had managed to kill this one. But there were still many more to come.

I could only hope we could win this against the rebels so we could undo what had been done. It was no longer a matter of controlling their race. If we continued on this path there would be nothing left to take from this world.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Next! And happy belated birthday to one of my readers! :D This is a bit of a slow and fast chapter.. slow followed by fast, with a bit of sadness. Yes. Sadness. I do apologize. :o

* * *

**HAL POV**

For a moment I wasn't sure what happened. Last thing I remember was lying bleeding out on the floor, and now I was lying in a warm, comfortable bed, feeling rather stiff and unstable. I wasn't sure where I was. It didn't look like the med bus, but my eyes were still a bit unfocused as I opened them. Too much light, and I slammed them shut. At least I wasn't dying. I could be in a harnessing facility for all I knew, though I doubt the warring skitters cared that much about this any longer. Why harness humans when animals proved to be better killing machines, and mutated much faster? I heard a weakened coughing somewhere around me and I immediately remembered Maggie. I sat up quickly – way too quickly – and felt a ripping pain across my chest and stomach. I cried out despite my best efforts not to and grabbed at the wounds which had torn through what must be stitches. My breath was taken sharply away and I tried my best to not move. Someone started to push me slowly back down, mumbling words that were supposed to stop me from resisting. I wouldn't have tried to resist anyway. My chest was blazing with pain and I could feel a sticky warmth beginning to spread through me again. That was it... I was done. I needed to go back to sleep. But I had to make sure Maggie was alright. Fighting against my incredible need to rest, I forced my eyes open and squinted against the too-bright light. I wanted to ask whoever was in the room with me to turn them out but realized my throat and mouth were too dry for me to speak. Fortunately, someone must have realized it, and they turned it off.

Finally, I could see. I recognized my dad first, with one arm up in a sling, looking like he needed some rest too. I then saw Ben, who looked unhurt other than a dark bruise sunk deep into the skin on the side of his head. I hoped everyone else was alright. It looked like the wolf had passed some damage around. How much?

More questions ran through my head but the only thing I was really worried about at this moment was Maggie. Last I knew she was lying unconscious on the floor after the wolf had attacked us. Was she dead or alive? How hurt was she? I tried to turn my head but could see nothing of her anywhere – just more boxes and containers. We were in the cargo bus. The medical bus must have been completely destroyed.

"Maggie?" I rasped, trying not to cough as my dry throat nearly felt like it was going to cave in on itself. They probably heard the grating in my throat because someone held a glass to my lips. Thankfully I drank, ignoring the burning, and managed to clear my throat enough to speak.

"Is Maggie alright?" I asked, prickling with apprehension.

"She's fine... her pneumonia is getting better, although she did hit her head when the wolf attacked. It's dead. But we have another problem now."

* * *

**WEAVER POV**

Fire. It burned cleanly through the icy snows of the mountain, reducing the thick layers of white blankets into ponds and puddles, which began to flow together and stream down the mountainside in a rush of panic. The fire had a blue tint to it – purple in the centre – with a thin green film around the outside. Frankly, I had no idea what to make of it. It was unlike any fire I had ever seen, and seemed protected against the water and the snows and ice. It was moving steadily up the mountain. Right towards us. I looked back at the fighters – what remained of our now dwindling group – rushing to and fro trying to get things under order. One against we were left with no time to move the dead. Our vehicles were trapped in the snow. Grimacing, I realized we were going to lose our most powerful and useful vehicles to the fire. It was almost unacceptable. But we could risk no more lives. Whatever this was – quite probably an alien attack – would be deadly. We had to move. I didn't want to leave behind the dead or wounded, but if we couldn't carry them or move them fast enough, there was nothing we could do. Save the majority. It was better than all of us dying. These were the difficult decisions that I, as a leader, had to make. I hated them. But there was no other choice, and everyone knew it.

Medical supplies and guns and ammunition was about all we could take with us now. We had enough able people to carry only half of our original supplies, but it would have to do. We began to flee. We had not made it far when an injured fighter fell to the ground. The wolf had torn his leg nearly clean in half, and it was hanging limply only by a few strands. He was done. He knew it, and I knew it.

"Go!" He snarled at me as I dropped beside him. I recognized him as Richard Vegil, 22-years old and a single father of two harnessed kids (his wife had died). I heaved a sigh. End of the line.

He glared at me, then looked back at the fire which seemed to be going faster towards us. We had made it only a partial way down the side of the mountain. It had almost reached what used to be our camp, with our vehicles now frozen in the snow. Everyone moved on, seemingly oblivious to what was happening. He then looked back at me, and in his expression I understood what he wanted. He wanted it quick. He didn't want to die slow.

I sucked in a short breath, and he looked back at the fire, seeming mesmerized by the sound. The roar of the fire drowned out the sound of the safety clicking off my gun. He didn't turn. Didn't flinch. One moment he was there. The next, he was on the ground, blood dribbling down the back of his head, finally at peace.

And no one turned. No one noticed. No one cared.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Oh... is this... a cliff hanger? I shouldn't have done one now. :P I start school tomorrow (BLERGH) and my writing time will be cut down by... a lot... so either I have to modify my schedule or I somehow manage to pull through. Not sure which. If you don't see the next chapter up on Friday night, Eastern time, expect it on Saturday! I'm not a morning person... I go to bed at one in the morning and usually don't wake up till 10. School destroys my internal clock. :c

* * *

**HAL POV**

We walked straight into an ambush. Somewhat.

It was more like a battlefield between two sides. Skitter versus skitter, mech versus mech. We dropped down out of sight around the perimeter of their field before something saw us and went to attack us. We saw the animals. They were racing around, attacking anything in sight, not seeming to care which side they were on. They simple hit, tore, killed. There was no control, as we had learned. Whatever happened to them during the mutation process made them extremely aggressive, angry, and of course deadly. Wolves, birds, bears and all kinds of things that I couldn't even name because they were so mutated. There was some enormous turtle-like creature, lumbering around with a long, bulbous tail that looked like it could smash someone into little bitty pieces without much trouble. There was an eagle – grown larger than one should ever be in its life – with scales growing on its back and neck and talons sharper than knives. There was something that must have been a bobcat at some point... standing on its back legs with dark russet fur and amber-red eyes. It had some kind of foreign object growing out of its back around the harness. I wondered just how long the poor thing had been harnessed to be mutating so much – but it seemed all the animals were accelerating through the 'process'. Trying to remember what these animals _used_ to be, I had a hard time believing that a harness could do _all_ of this. It wasn't even right. I tried to wrap my head around why anyone would even _want_ to do this. It all seemed wrong. Taking innocent creatures like these and destroying their lives – because he doubted that animals, unlike humans, would ever be able to get the harnesses of – seemed worse than some of the other things they had done... except for harnessing Ben, which was, to me, the worst thing of all.

And there was blood. So much blood. It ran in thick streams around the clearing, mixing with the bodies of skitters, animals, and the shattered remains of broken mechs. From where I was now I could not tell who were the rebels and who were not. All I really knew was that we had to get away. But the fire was now coming down the side of the mountain, spreading rapidly toward our position. We would be forced to cross the battlefield, unless we could find another way through. But there was no telling how far the fire would be burning, or if it would ever stop. It was not "real" fire. It did burn everything to a crisp but was unaffected by the wind or snow and water of the region. It should have stopped by now. But the thin green film around it continued on, so we all knew it wasn't a natural event.

Someone dragged me backwards and to my feet, and I instinctively flinched and spun around, only to see that it was Ben, and most of our people were moving away, searching along the perimeter of the field for an opening that wouldn't harm us. Aching, I limped after them, trying not to look back at the dying mess that was the battle.

I tried not to feel anything towards the skitters – mostly the rebels – but it was becoming difficult. Before we knew they were harnessed, we simply assumed they were the big bosses purposely trying to destroy us. And then we found out that they were nothing more than harnessed... well, we don't exactly know what they were before they were harnessed. But they had their own thoughts. They were slaves, just like the human children who had been harnessed. Didn't that make them... similar to humans? Basically humans themselves who looked different. Which made them more than just 'bugs'. I could only wonder what they looked like before they had been harnessed. I had heard from one of the 'rebel skitters' that they had been a peaceful species. Not anymore. Though I did wonder what classified as a 'peaceful species'. It could mean that they didn't fight with other 'planets'. Whatever the case, the number of bodies on the ground made me sick to my stomach, because all I could see were _people_.

"Look out!" Someone shouted, just as a long, low whistle rang overheard and everything exploded in a bright red burst. I hit the ground, half from instinct, and half from the shock wave that knocked into my chest. I stared up at the giant crater that had been blown into the side of the mountain with dazed surprise. It looked like a mech had spotted us. Then I looked down. A human leg was all that remained at the very edge of the blast area, and I had to swallow convulsively. I don't know who that was but I hoped to hell it wasn't Dad or Ben or Maggie – or anyone I knew. Which also happened to be a cruel thought in itself because... it was still human.

As human as the dead could be.

"Move!" Ben hissed in my ear, and I immediately jumped back just in time to avoid getting blown up as well. I was blinded once again by the explosion, and half deafened as well. I crawled awkwardly away, pulling my injured leg along trying to avoid bending the knee as much as possible. My head bumped into something solid. I looked up.

Steel and metal. Laser-like beams woke through the air, pointing right at me, and I completely froze. _Shit._ This was it, wasn't it? I looked behind me. We were completely surrounded by mechs – civilians and all – and most of us had gathered up in the middle in a kind of protective knot; they didn't seem to realize that a single missile could dispatch them all with no difficulty. There was Ben, his spikes glowing in front of a skitter, and my dad was grabbing Matt and pulling him back as he tried to run towards him. Death as all they had left.

I shut my eyes as time slowed and prepared for the final gunfire.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Not really a cliffy. I'm not sure when I'll be able to upload the next chapter. We're going to camp this weekend, where there is no Internet or computers... so... I'll try Sunday, Monday, or even Tuesday. And I'm tired. Really really tired.

* * *

**BEN POV**

Time went still as everything around me went blank. My vision faded, my hearing deafened, and my mind turned into blackness. I was still awake, and I knew I was awake, yet at the same time, I could feel my consciousness get pulled away from my body. I knew the skitter was reading me. I could not fight it. I could only let myself wait for it to be over. There was no pain, no fear, no feeling of any kind. It was a simple relaxation and the general, indifferent knowledge that someone – or something – was probing through my mind. I let go completely, and for just a moment I was connected. The entire world was at my grasp, coursing strongly through my mind. I could feel the skitters, hear them, know their communications. Without understanding I acknowledged that these were a group of rebels who had tried to get far from battle. They were sensing us. Checking for our motives. They read about the fire. The wolves. The bombs. The battles before and after. And I had almost reached it. The true reason for invading. And then... it let me go. I slumped to the ground, exhausted, as all of my emotions swarmed back into my consciousness. It took a long while for me to realize that this... we were surrounded. I didn't remember what had happened before. Mechs, skitters. There was something small and fragile crawling around on the ground, shuddering through the dirt. Tiny... metallic little skitter bugs. I had never seen them before, but they seemed frighteningly aggressive. I shuffled away as one went close to my legs, stopping to hiss at me in a rather vicious way. They must be a new 'creature'. Seeing as they were metal, I realized they weren't harnessed spiders or baby skitters or anything like that.

My mind finally snapped into gear. My dad was hiding Matt behind his back. Hal was on his hands and knees, half risen, with the mechs spotting lights cast over his face and body. Everyone was grouped close together, surrounded by lights. I suddenly realized how few people we had left. Most of us had died. We still had civilians, but they too had experienced being torn apart by the wolves and bombed by the mechs. So this is what is left of the Second Mass, and what will never be again. Almost forgetting my entire experience in their network, I closed my eyes and expected blackness.

And it didn't come. Power-down whirs echoed in the distance, and I opened them to see the lights fading. A voice nearby made me turn to see a harnessed kid – no more than thirteen – walking up to us with little interest in his gaze.

"The fire is a last resort of the enemy to try and destroy the rogue animals they have created. They are uncontrollable – and therefore, a menace. It cannot be stopped. It was reinforced with a special barrier to prevent the fire from being put out by any practical means such as water or cold. There is a tunnel here that will lead to the other side of the fire which will put you out of the way. It cannot harm us. Beware of the wrong routes in the tunnels. We cannot guarantee their total safeness." The boy said, in a voice as bland as if he was robotic. I found it hard to believe that this shell of a human being had once been a little boy just like Matt. He was so... lifeless... and they really chose to stay like this? They weren't living. They were machines in human skin.

Some of my internal war must have appeared on my face because the boy looked at me and some sort of expression appeared on his face. Amusement? Curiosity? Not powerful though. Hardly existent. Was it all simply a ruse?

"You wonder why I chose this? It's much easier than feeling. My family is dead. I have no humanity to return to," he said blandly, and I felt sick at how easily he was able to say his own family had died. Like it was unimportant. Like he had no power to try. Not even an effort to work. So he simply fled from everything. I felt anger starting to burn inside me. Was he so pathetic that he had no interest in even trying to remember the people who raised him – who he grew up with? Was emptiness better? If he saw the anger in my eyes, he gave no notice.

"And what happens if we kept going North?" Weaver asked, as suspicious as ever. What reason did we have to believe the skitters? As far as the rest of us knew, they were going to lead us into a trap. What they didn't know was that these were rebels – not the ones bent dead on trying to kill us and take over our planet. Some part of me understood that these skitters could very well be sending us into a trap – but they were _rebels_. They weren't trying to hurt us. At least, not what I have seen going through their minds. They had simply wanted us out of the way so they could continue to battle without destroying what remained of the human race.

"The fire will keep going until it has completely burned itself out. Which could be days, weeks, or even months. If you have the stamina to continue north, you may. But it will be safer and more possible to simply go beneath," the human-slave responded without missing a beat. I got the feeling that he really didn't care what happened to us.

Why would he? He was hiding from the truth by continuing to be a slave, so why would he mind the deaths of more of his own kind?

There was silence while Weaver digested all of this. The resignation in his eyes was clear. He had no choice but to trust them. Either way – if they were really meaning us harm – we would be dead. At least this way we stood half a chance.

The skitters stood down. They cleared a path, and suddenly I could see the spot where the tunnel began. It was now or never. The fire was almost upon us.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Bahha. More whump! I love whump, clearly! Anyway. Sort of a cliff hanger. But do not worry, for I _should_ post the next chapter on Tuesday! :D

* * *

**HAL POV**

Darkness. I wondered whether my eyes were open or closed, and despite the fact I knew they open, I tried to blink again. It was a natural reaction to complete darkness – the mind's nagging thought that your eyes aren't really open and you could see if you opened them. It didn't work of course. When there was no light, there was nothing to see. But I could imagine my breath fogging in the freezing air, and could picture the frightened eyes of the many people trying to crowd through these tunnels all at once. The only good thing to this situation was that I was in the middle, and surrounded by people on all sides, making it less likely for me to walk right into something bad. Someone else would before I did. I hated to think of it that way but I was tired of all of this. Let someone else do the dirty work for a change. I just wanted to lie back and not get hurt. Not that I wanted for anyone else to get hurt. Somewhere around I could hear the soft trickle of water dripping slowly down a wall or ceiling. I wondered how close we were to the nearest water sources – generally, tunnels like these were meant to go under underneath waterways. I took anther step forward, letting myself brush against the people around me. I had gone in with Ben and Tom and Matt right nearby. I had no idea where they were now. Everyone was dead silent. I didn't dare break the silence right now. It seemed everyone was straining, searching for any kind of noise that may warn them of danger. But other than the dripping water and the grim shuffling of human movement, all was silent. Exhausting. I hate the dark.

Because my mind was creating images for me. Things I couldn't control. Things I didn't wish to see. Skitters, bugs, creatures. Enemies. All trying to attack us. I knew they weren't real. I knew it was all just my imagination. It was simply in the back of my mind. Everything. And then there was anther one. Not an alien. A human, lumbering slowly through the halls, indifferent of everything. Someone I knew. Someone I wished would fade away into the unending abyss of the world. Those eyes. They would always haunt me, no matter how far I ran. In my dreams they would come at the most random moments, accusing, scared, angry. They hated me. They blamed me. They had every right. They would blame me until the edge of eternity. Human eyes, belonging to a not so human soul.

Pope would always drag his numbed limbs around, skin pale and sallow, eyes sunken, blood staining his front. He looked at me and all I could remember was the fading look in his eyes. Zombie-like, it continued on, living after death. As my mind began to stop showing me the images of the past, I was able to think. Just enough to move along. Enough remind myself where we were. There was no time to regret or fear or hate. We had to keep going, no matter what.

Just as the thoughts went through my mind, I was knocked to the ground, flat on my face, by an enormous blast. A violently aching pain seared through every muscle in my body as I tried in vain to scramble to my feet. I was immediately drenched in a powerful rush of water. Gasping for air as it flooded around my mouth, I struggled to get to my feet, coughing and choking on mouthfuls of water. I looked up, surprised that I could see. An entire chunk of the ceiling had been blown apart, giving way to the sky and what must be a river or lake (the water was not salty) that was now pouring between the cracks. What the hell? I spun, trying to see around the drops of water running down my face, and I saw several lines of mechs and skitters moving towards us. It was an ambush! I felt the briefest rage before I forced it out of my mind and pulled out my gun. I didn't realize that these skitters were in the opposite direction of the ones who had sent us through. But Ben had.

"These aren't the rebels!" Ben snarled, and I saw him crouching next to Matt, holding him above the rising river of water. The shooting began, but the frenzy was too much for me. I felt like I was caught in the middle of a stampede, floundering both in the midst of the rushing water and the gunfire and attacks of the mechs and skitters. Another hole was blown into the side of the subway wall. Stumbling, I was completely blown off my feet by the next wave of water. I careened right up against a skitter that looked down at me with a hiss.

Fighting to get back my footing, I fired off only three rounds before it tossed my gun away with a quick, easy strike. Frustration burned through me. What did these things want with us? We were just trying to _live_. Skitters do not speak the language of common sense and compassion. All they seemed to understand was kill. It was the only thing they ever knew. Kill this, kill that. Part of me wanted to lunge for the gun and ram it down its throat, pulling the trigger multiple times just to make sure it was dead. And then a few more times just to finish it off!

Through the angry ranting in my mind, I was unable to notice as it reached for me until it had hauled me to my feet, lifting me off the ground. I began to cough and choke, half strangling as it squeezed my throat and neck harder. My hand found a dagger I had slipped earlier inside my jacket. As it glared into my eyes with its large, bug-like gaze, the knife sank into the soft flesh of its right eye. It's screech of agony both startled me and frightened me, but I had little time to think about it.

It threw me to the side like I was a ragdoll, and the next thing I knew, my head met the stone on the tunnels and paint erupted through my skull. I hit the ground, limp and heavy like a sack if potatoes. I was unable to move any part of my body. My limbs were foreign to me. My ears rang to the point I could nothing. I teetered on the edge of unconsciousness for several seconds in which I struggled to form a coherent thought. Just as the darkness swallowed me up completely I was aware of the water tracking up dangerously around my body, filling my mouth.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Updaters. o; I have a trip this weekend to a college. Not sure if I'll be able to update or not then. Eyes open!

* * *

**BEN POV**

I lost sight of Hal as another missile whipped through the air, missing me by sheer inches as I curled my body around Matt in order to protect him. I couldn't do much against a bomb but I had to try. It was my sheer instinct. The room was filled with static, but this time I could understand none of it. It was like my mind was being thrown up against a wall, preventing me from finding my way through. They must have sensed a former harnessed kid among us, and were working hard to prevent me from even being capable of understanding their thoughts. That would throw every single one of their plans out of order. Though there was little to plan now. We were done for. We lacked the weaponry and number to effectively defend ourselves. How many were dead already? Were we all going to drown? I could think of few ways to die worse than drowning. Getting eaten alive, burned to death, or tortured in some way was one of those that went just below it. I didn't want to drown – and I wouldn't let Matt drown either. Looking up at the hole carved into the top of the tunnel I could see the opening where the water was rushing in. The fact that I could also see sky told me that I could swim out of the opening onto land as the water got high enough. But what of everyone else? It was nearly impossible to break through the line of skitters to get to somewhere safe, such as the other end of the tunnel. We couldn't go back. The roof had caved in enough to prevent both water and people to get through. As I tried to lift Matt further out of the water, I slipped and splashed back down, sending a mouthful of the filthy mud slime into my mouth.

Alarm.

Where was Hal? I looked around wildly, spotting my dad and Weaver and Maggie and others trying to hold a defensive line. But he was gone. I hadn't seen him since the missile strike, and now that the water was up to my knees I knew we were running out of time. Strangely the mechs were starting to back away, hiding from the rising water. I wondered vaguely if they could not tolerate the water. They were machines after all, and I had never seen them really in water. Their hard shells could take a bullet, but seemingly not a little flood? It was only unfortunate that the skitters were not as bothered by the water as the mechs were. They kept coming, faster, and in greater numbers. The missiles stopped coming. My vision cleared. And then...

I saw my brother lying face down in the water, completely limp. I couldn't see how much damage he had from where I was, but all I knew was that he had to be unconscious. I jumped forward, practically dragging Matt off his feat, before pushing him into my dad who spun in surprise. I didn't have time to explain. All I could do was lunge forward, sinking a long blade deep down the throat of the skitter that tried to get into my way. For a moment I broke through the static, and I could hear and speak with them. They were not rebels. They were one of the few surviving invading forces left. And they fought with a vengeance. It should have intimidated me. But instead, I felt my rage bubble up into one single thought.

_Insects!_ I hissed through my mind, and the static recoiled in surprise at the intrusion. They immediately snapped me out, but I didn't care for them any longer. I had reached my brother's side and was carefully lifting him out of the water. I wasn't sure what to expect. But I was simply relieved that he was breathing. Weakly. And then I saw his head coated with blood, fresh beads running down his face as the water raced away. Grimacing, I saw the deep scar over the top of his head that continued to drip blood without problem.

I began to drag him back, away from the uneven crumbling ground that was the edge of the tunnel. Suddenly I wanted to murder them all. I forced my way back through the static that they were trying so hard to keep me from. Their frenzied rage and panic almost forced me back out again, but I managed to get my attention back together.

_What do you want from us?_ I thought, once again surprising them with my ability to cut into their minds. For a moment there was silence.

_Die._ Something hissed back, and I tried not to roll my eyes. One word syllables? I did remember something like that... it was how they communicated. As little words as possible. Back then I might have believed it was so everyone could work together at a quick and steady pace. Now I simply decided – out of hostility and frustration – that they were stupid.

_Why?_ I thought back, hoping to dumb it down as much as possible. I wanted a real answer. Without the overlords controlling them, they should eventually be able to give one. Unless, of course, whatever was left of them was simply following the lines given to them for the hundred or so years they had been harnessed.

_Our planet now._ Was the response.

I snorted in disgust. How arrogant. I could sense their buzzing thoughts and felt their alarm growing. Did they really think just because they believed themselves superior that they could simply strut in and take everything that was _ours?_

_Parasites._ I thought back, and I felt a sudden flare of surprise from something. Feeling. Did they really feel? Or was I simply imagining it. Shrugging the feeling away, I shut them from my mind and turned back to Hal. The water was up to my chest and I had to struggle just to hold his head above the floods. That's when something slid beneath me. Something alive pushed me and the others up, above the water, towards the opening of light.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Alright! I got my school laptop which means I can type during school which is when I type best - because I'm that bored! Though don't expect chapters like this all the time. I'm taking AP Bio and AP Chem which means lots of work and I might not be able to write as well. Anyway. Time for some cute happiness... I've realized I've been going along bang-bang-bang action for the past several chapters now so it's time to get some relaxation in! :D

* * *

**BEN POV**

I stumbled slightly as the thing continue to shift as we rose, and it wasn't until I had reached the top and shifted Hal in a way that I could get him out without dropping him that I felt the soft, wet fur. So this was an _animal?_ Why would an animal want to save us? I wasn't sure what kind of animal it was but then I saw a glowing harness, dripping with water, appearing beneath the water just beside my feet. I was surprised. Why would a _harnessed_animal save us? Weren't they supposed to be on the side of the skitters? Though, from what I had seen, none of the harnessed animals seemed to follow the orders of their 'masters', which must drive them crazy. I knew for a fact that skitters and everything with them that had any kind of reasoning skills hated when their orders were ignored. Being slaves – and creating their own slaves – had given them an annoyingly false sense of superiority and greatness. I wished the Overlords could see their creations now. I hoped they were dead – every one of them – like the parasites they are. I knew from the multiple times I had been able to read what was being said that they had done the same thing before to multiple planets. Did all 'slaves' turn into skitters? Would I turn into a skitter? I shuddered at the very idea. An ugly, six-legged spider that was under complete control of something or somebody else. There couldn't be anything much worse than that… could there?

Trying to imagine it, I didn't think so. Before I had a chance to climb out of the hole, the creature somehow managed to jump out and into the sunlight, allowing me to see for the first time where we were. We had made it several cliques from the mountain, and behind us the fire still burned, heading away from us. We had successfully gone under the fire. Now we were stuck at an enormous river. It was at least thirty miles wide and its length stretched far beyond what my eyes could see. If it was deep, most of us didn't have a chance of crossing it. Not to mention it was mid-winter and the very edges of the lake had already frozen over. It would not be safe. Someone could very easily fall through the ice.

In my opinion, it should have been frozen over completely, but maybe the heat of the fire had melted it a bit. I could see small chunks of ice floating delicately down the river. We had to find a bridge. Or maybe there was a damn somewhere. It was a very fast moving river, and we were still up north, where most of the rivers had been used by mills to produce whatever product they wanted. Those days seemed like centuries ago. I had not been alive in those times, of course, but even my childhood seemed like an eternity past. Another life. There was so much missing that I felt like a jigsaw puzzle, missing half the pieces, unable to be completed. It was a sharp feeling in the pit of my stomach. All of a sudden I missed my mother, who had been one of the few constants in my life. She had kept me rooted while the world swirled around me, and my brother went to school, and my dad went to work at college. With a sigh I looked away from the river, one hand clenched in the fur of the animal, and the other wrapped around my brother's chest.

With a low growl the creature suddenly shook itself and I slipped rapidly to the ground, Hal partly on top of me. For the first time, I got a look at the animal and was quite surprised.

I was expecting something evil.

What I got was something beautiful.

In its previous life it must have been a dog – young, probably two years. Its fur was jet black but had twinges of blue and purple sparkling around its upper back, beginning to streak up its neck and down its tail. It was more like speckles – stars on its fur. Its eyes were a bright blue seemed to stare right into me. I had no idea what breed it was, but it had probably mutated in some way during the harnessing process. Though its teeth were sharp and its claws long, it didn't appear to be threatening in any way. Its fur, previously soaked by the flood waters in the tunnel, was now completely dry. Its body was altered slightly. It looked like it had the capability of standing on its back legs, but seemed to prefer to crawl on all fours. Habit or simple stability preference?

It shook itself again. Suddenly it walked right up to me and began lapping energetically at my face, like any regular dog would. We had never had dogs or any pets as kids, but I found I didn't mind much. It was _friendly_and had saved our lives, which was all that mattered. I ran my fingers through its fur, and it immediately sat down in front of me, staring at me with _adoring_eyes. I could sense the static, so I went to it.

_My name is Taurus,_the dog – which I assumed to be a he – thought.

Curious, I wondered how it could even speak to me. _I'm Ben. Thank you for saving my brother and me, and… _I looked around and saw several smaller puppies crowded around the rest of our group. They were all about the size of poodles (the real ones, not the toy ones), and all had different colours. All were harnessed.

One in particular had silvery fur with red speckles on its paws and face and a white tail tip. It had the most shocking pair of green eyes I had ever seen. It was clearly the smallest of the bunch, and suddenly it turned and moved over to us with small, graceful steps. It – she – looked between Hal and I before raising her tail and leaning against Hal like he was a support beam – managing to look so cute in the process that I didn't even bother trying to get defensive. I wondered for a moment if this little family of dogs had managed to keep their 'minds' when they were harnessed like some others.

As it reading my mind, the oldest said – _After they took our humans, my mate had her puppies. Then they came for us. She was killed attacking a Spider-Walker, and they put these on the rest of us. It wasn't a completely bad thing. We gained more intelligence and power than we ever had before, and now I can speak through my thoughts to others who have been stolen. And unlike others, all of us still have our minds. We can still protect our world._

I looked at the father of the pups in amazement. It was clear they had gained intelligence. More than I had ever thought possible. I was talking to a dog as if I was talking to any ordinary human and something even more, because it had greater powers than I did. I had strength and speed – but this had the power to destroy without needing the tools to do so. Its body was the tool.

If these dogs were willing to fight, perhaps they would help us.

_So what are you planning to do?_I thought, feeling as though I had just been sent through time into a fantasy science fiction movie on Scify.

_What every dog should do. Protect its friends and family. If you would allow us to, of course, _it added, and there was a twinkle in its eyes that made me realize it was being genuine.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Ra! Good thing I got this done during school the other day. We have this mega huge thunderstorm coming up through here (MAINE) today and power will most likely be lost. :P And I'm exhausted. Five hours of driving and freaking troubles everywhere... thank goodness for sleep. anyway. Can't remember what I typed but I hope it's good. :D

* * *

**HAL POV**

I woke to a violent pounding in the back of my head and a painful soreness in my throat and chest and mouth. For a moment I wondered if I was sick with strep before the past events suddenly rushed back at me. They made my head spin even harder so I immediately wished myself back into the soft, caring embrace of unconsciousness. Nothing changed. If anything, my head began to spin even harder, making my entire body shake with the pain blaring into my skull. I didn't dare open my eyes, for fear that if it did, whatever was holding my broken head together would break and my skull would shatter into millions of little pieces. Visualizing it only made it worse so I tried to focus on something to distract me. The ever-steady ache would gradually rise and fall depending on how far I tried to pass my mind. I thought of school, my old friends, my teachers, my work – how much I hated my work – and sports. Sports were the only thing I was good at in school. Math and history and science and English were simply too boring for me, and I would always find my mind wandering to the little grassy patch in the field where I could play football. I wasn't incredibly tall or brawny, so I had been a running-back. There was one thing I was better at than any of the others. Running. I had always been a fast and powerful runner, with incredible stamina. It had served me well when the aliens invaded, but they were better than any human could ever hope to be. The only reason I had been able to avoid being harnessed this entire time was because I could _move_. For a moment the ache was completely gone and then suddenly, it flared back up with a reminding twinge in my knee.

I wouldn't be outrunning anything again – except maybe another cripple. Something told me it wouldn't really matter. Being alive was luckier than making it out unhurt. Now that I think about – _how_ had I made it out? I vaguely remember breathing in a mouthful of water being passing out, which should have meant I had drowned. But somehow I was alive. And where? I still didn't want to pry my eyes open, but I would have to now. To see if I had been captured by the enemy or not. I don't see why they wouldn't have left me for dead, but no one really understood anything those _creatures_ did.

I half pulled open one eye, and thankfully, there wasn't too much light. It was almost completely dark where I was. I could hear the sound of rushing water nearby and I felt a strong flare of panic, wondering if there was still a flood and I had somehow been swept away from it for the moment I had been unconscious. Wouldn't that be fun? Drowning while conscious instead of in the dark world of sleep.

I opened the other eye, squinting slightly because of the pain. I suddenly realized there was a soft, warm bundle of fur at my side. I started to turn my head but the sharpness of the pain immobilized me in an instant. Immediately whatever it was moved, and a face popped into my vision.

Not human. A dog. A strange one at that. It had the prettiest green eyes I had ever seen that seemed far too intelligent for any regular dog… and red fur? Red and silver fur, with the red peppering the pelt like they were simply little grains and pieces dropped onto it. But it was real fur, not pepper. And then it turned just a little bit and I saw the harness flaring brightly on its back. I stiffened. Was this another of those creatures out on a dead mission to kill us? I couldn't imagine something so small and adorable killing anything, but it was clear it wasn't 'just' a dog anymore. It was more. Greater. I would be advanced beyond what it ever could have been before, and all I could wonder was whether it was going to rip me apart or not, like the wolves had tried so hard to do.

It cocked its head at me, wonderingly, and suddenly it began to lap at my face.

Well, it still acted like a dog. I reached for it and immediately my hands brushed the softest fur I had ever felt. It looked at me, and then licked my hand. For a moment I felt not pain in my head, but a pressure that made me think someone was trying to push their way into my mind. It passed only when I moved which sent pain ricocheting back through my skull, and the dog suddenly whimpered and lowered its previously wagging tail.

I felt a tug, like I had done something wrong, and immediately began moving my fingers through its fur again. It barked – not an aggressive, startling bark, but a quiet, gentle yip. Almost immediately I heard movement to my left. I wished I could turn to see but there was no way my head was going to respond to any movement I tried to put it through – not without feeling like it was going to burst.

"Hal! You're awake!" Ben's voice was thick with relief, and he popped into view after another moment, with what looked like a large black dog walking beside him. I was confused. Where had all the dogs come from?

"This is Taurus and the green-eyed puppy there is Apia. Taurus and the puppies saved us all from the water," he explained, and Apia immediately began to wag – her – tail again. It was as though they could understand everything we were saying. Ben was standing there with a strange look on his face that I recognized as every time he was speaking to something through the 'radio static' or trying to hear something from far away. I suddenly realized that he was speaking to the _dogs_, and they were speaking back through their minds. I wondered what it would be like to speak to a dog.

Slowly I sat up, feeling fire ripping up and down my spine but I forced myself to ignore it. I was going to say something when my gaze was distracted by something strange on the surface of the water – the river that had been above the tunnel. Electricity was dancing off the top of it in translucent bursts, and in the very centre, the water was lifting.

"Ben," I mumbled, staring at the water surface just as Apia began to growl and turn, with hackles rising. Up from the river, the water flooded to either side in a rushing wave, and the roar of an engine was shaking the entire area.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Okay so I wasn't the only one who noticed I wasn't really relating to my title anymore? Well... that happens... this seems to write itself. I never plan ahead - I just sit and type and then read what I wrote just to figure out _what_ I wrote. I will try to slow down a bit - however, I am going to have to end this sometime soon. I have a novel to write, and due to school computer issues, it's becoming extremely slow and frustrating. I have no muse for this because I need more new episodes! TNT... start the next season early... like tomorrow. ;p

* * *

**BEN POV**

For one moment the static was deafening. Sounds blasted into my eyes from all sides, making me wince and nearly keel over, holding my head, trying to stop the noise. Somewhere was a dreadful whimpering that made me want to shrink away, and my vision blurred to the point I had to close my eyes less the dizziness make me nauseas. Finally, finally, finally. It ended. Everything faded into a blissful silence, minus the sound of rushing water splashing over the edge of the lake. I pulled back, trying to avoid the water, having expected it to come straight for my face to knock me back. It didn't. It was suddenly pulled back into the river, the water drawn in to some kind of whirlpool. On my knees, I struggled to get my footing and began to back away, as some of the shore line began to be covered by waves upon waves of water. It lapped all the way up to my ankles before finally beginning to recede, and by then there was something rising from the water, cascading blankets more back down into the river. Fish floundered desperately along the sudden sand, desperately seeking air, and I felt a sudden pang to go push them back into the water. But I couldn't. I was frozen in spot, my feet rooted to the ground by the scene before me. It wasn't terror, fear, anger or curiosity. It was as though there was an electrical current running through me, keeping me in place, refusing to let my mind take my body back over so I could get away. Some part of me recognized the strange numbness that was spreading from my head down to the base of my spine. I recognized that I was not in control of my own body. I also recognized that there was nothing I could do about it. Ever-so-slowly my mind was being emptied as I stared at the rising craft from the river.

In nature, it was metallic and silver. With the water still rushing off of it, it looked shiny and new; in a way, fresh. It was about the size of what an average car used to be, but had no wheels or even wings. Beneath its belly were two glowing blue pits, charged with a kind of electrical power that could not be mirrored by anything we had ever seen or created. It trembled with a fascinating strength, seeming to remind me of a helicopter. There was pale window at top, and a shape inside that must be the controller of the craft. White stripes along the side seemed silly and unnecessary, but I was not the creator and had no control over that. There were two camera-like objects on either side of the craft, trembling with the power of its controller. Something seemed oddly intimidating about them, like they were something I should be afraid of. But I had no control, therefore could not move. I only stared at them in a kind of forced fascination until I understood why I should have been afraid.

The window went clear. The alien inside was none other than a fish-head, a survivor of its kind. Its dark, beady eyes watched us with the only kind of expression it, with its oddly created face, could manage. I could see none of the others but I could hear them, trying to fire the pathetic remains of their bullets at the craft. Something blue and electrical was coming off the side, preventing the bullets from making any impact. Instead, they bounced off of it, and several screams or yelps of pain told me they had hit some people. They had completely missed me, which was strange.

The creature had our fates in its hands, and judging by its angry expression, it wasn't going to let us go.

Damn. We were so close too.

It looked at me, and I looked back, realizing it was the one who had control. The knowledge renewed a fresh strength in me and I fought it, biting at its mind in an attempt to drive it back. My hate was a great power, and for a moment it seemed like I would succeed. But it had hate too, and strong. For a moment I saw from its point of view the destruction of everything it had ever had – all the power, strength, friends, and homeland it had acquired. And anger pumped through my blood. How _dare_ it?

_It was never yours to begin with;_ my thoughts spoke, pushing back again, harder. For once, I felt as though I had some over my own destiny. They could not control me now. My will was stronger, because I was fighting not for power or control, but for my family and my species – my world – and its right to grow and survive in the planet they were born.

Where was this thing's planet? Some place far away, for sure. Perhaps destroyed already by their conquest to gain power and kill everything that got in their way. Perhaps they had ruined their own world and was looking for others to raise their own species again. Or perhaps they were just a parasitic race, unable to breed, forced to create life by making slaves of other creatures from other planets, making them theirs. The skitters had never stood a chance. Now they did, and so did we.

My confidence seemed to surprise it. Black was beginning to grow around the edges of my vision was exhaustion filled me from the furious mental battle with my enemy. I seemed to screech in frustration, and suddenly the cameras – no, not cameras, but guns! – shot to live, a blue-green electrical energy pulsating in their depths. I knew that it would rather kill us than lose this battle with me.

_Pathetic. No wonder you have lost,_ I thought, allowing the smugness to creep into my mind. Pure hate flashed against me, but with it came confusion. Why was I fighting so hard against it? Why did I care what happened to myself? I could live and be ruled, taken care of, protected if I let him win.

_There is nothing human about you,_ my thoughts whispered to him, and this time they were soft and sad. Because it truly was sad. _You would not understand. Humans do not want to be protected. We want to be loved._

And then my world went black.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Tada! Getting there... :D I got down and worked hard today, getting nearly 13k words done in my book. :) Anyway. Getting this moving!

* * *

**HAL POV**

I watched Ben as he slumped limply to the ground, spikes going dark. I immediately began to stagger forward to drag him out of the way of the ship, but something grabbed hold of my shirt and dragged me back. A wedge entered my mind and this time I allowed it through my consciousness, seeking only to save Ben as the weapons on either side of the ship began their death charge. The fish-head in the ship was eying us with great disdain, as if we were a horsefly buzzing around its head on a warm summer day. But we were not horse flies. We were being colonized, therefore we had to protect ourselves. They must be a very arrogant species indeed to assume their power and greatness meant they could do whatever they liked to a certain species, but if that species fought back then they would throw a tantrum and destroy everything. They were like the big kid in the sandbox, bullying anyone and everyone who happened to try something different, or didn't allow the bully to push them around simply because they wanted to play. That fact and knowledge made them a whole lot less scary. They had no meaning. Surely they, even as thick as they are, will eventually realize that?

_Stay back,_ something whispered in my mind. _It's not safe._ I looked around and recognized Apia. The red speckles were glowing brightly and there was a tension across her form. I looked back desperately just as the lights of the ship flashed brightly, blinding me and making me pull away. I half expected to be blasted out of existence, but all that happened was a shockwave that knocked me flat on my back, ears ringing from the force. The entire earth was shaking, and all I could imagine was Ben's body being decimated. Heat licked the earth only for a few more seconds before everything faded back to its usual darkness.

There was surprisingly no destruction. There was no charred earth, or even a tiniest evidence of a crater. The ground was simply left in the same state it had been before. The ship pulled back, not a beamer, but something of a different and more advanced creation. It turned and disappeared in a blinking dot over the hills, eventually becoming just another star until the treetops covered its escape into the distance.

Ben was gone. There was nothing left behind – no sign of death or blood or even that he had even been there before. It was as though he hadn't even been lying there. My heart began to race as I struggled to my feet and began to run forward, as though he was still around there and I would be able to find his body. Perhaps he had run into the trees. But there wasn't a single thing. Dead silence probed the river-side, and for the first time I realized that they had taken Ben again. If it had wanted us dead, it would have killed all of us, not just Ben. Which meant that it hadn't killed him. It had taken him somewhere, for some goal that was its only interest. It had fled West, towards the Appalachians, and though I had no idea where it was going to land, I could only assume that there was a new enemy base jumping into operation somewhere out west. Perhaps a bomb had failed to go off – perhaps they had mistakenly missed a specific area where the fish-heads had been living. Perhaps they had come from someplace above – replacing the dead with fresh blood. If there were still fish-heads out there, then the harnessing would continue and the enemies would gain power against the rebels.

We had to find Ben. If we found him, we'd find their base, and also find a way to kill them. Hopefully they were the last of it. I wouldn't mind putting a bullet through its brain. I'm sick of tired of the aliens attacking us and taking our families, friends, and people and trying to use them against us. I looked at dad who looked back at me with his jaw set and a look in his eye that told me whether Weaver agreed or not, _we_ at least would be heading West to find him. The rest of the group – a mere thirty people – looked shell shocked and mildly disinterested. As though they had seen so much that nothing was much of a surprise to them anymore. I should feel sympathy towards them, but I felt was a growing angry and resistance to any idea that we should simply give up and let the enemy have their way with us. Some people may have had enough of fighting, but our war was still just beginning. It wouldn't end if we simply sat down and took it.

Weaver looked at both of us. He looked exhausted, as though this constant fighting to keep alive had taken nearly 30 years from his life. It must be difficult to be the leader of a dying resistance. I knew he would not force the rest of the people to walk all the way out west to what might be an ambush or complete warzone. But he would not stop us and force us to remain when one of our own was missing.

"Go find him and bring him home," Weaver said finally to Tom and I. Maggie, so recently sick and still recovering from pneumonia walked forward looking pale, but determined. Jimmy came to. Other fighters looked like the wanted to go but the Second Mass still needed protection and they would have to stay. We looked between our friends and the fellow soldiers we had fought beside. When we came back we would have to find them again, and perhaps then this war would finally be over.

I felt weak and battered, but I still turned to follow my dad into the trees, with Maggie and Jimmy following, all of us ready to take on an entire army of our enemies to get back one of our own. We were a small force, but a determined one… and we would bring great damage to the skitters and fish-heads for thinking they could continue stealing our family.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Been having some weird uploading problems lately. Can't seem to copy and paste text normally. It just... goes halfway across the screen and stops... hope you don't mind. I'll try and fix that for the next update!

* * *

**HAL POV**

We walked for what felt like weeks, but was probably only days. We took mini breaks here and there,  
but our main goal was to get to Ben as fast as possible, no matter how tired we were. We would rest  
before we attacked, because we couldn't risk making a mistake because we were exhausted. It made  
sense to me in the tactical sense, but right now I wasn't sure if I could continue. I was so exhausted that  
half the time I was walking with my eyes closed, prying them open only on the occasion I had to check to  
make sure I wasn't going to crash into anything. A few times I hit a tree face first so I kept my eyes open  
for a record five minutes before they drifted shut again. I was starting to doubt whether this was going  
to work or not. Sure, we would get there sooner, but we would be very open to ambush or any kind of  
attack. We would probably not even notice an enemy until they were opening fire on us, and how many  
of us had the actual energy to fight back? Not many. Even my dad was looking like he was about to  
collapse. Jimmy was limping after twisting his ankle a little ways back and Maggie was rasping off and  
on. I wondered if we were going to get to one of our mini-breaks yet. Every time we had one – a mere  
fifteen minute pause – I was able to doze off but when I woke again I was so tired that time seemed to  
stand still. I couldn't hear anything – the silence was completely unnatural. No birds chirping, or familiar  
sounds of the trees or wilderness echoed around us. Not even the crickets – of which I hated so greatly –  
were making their frustrating noise.

We were all slowing. But when my dad sucked in a sudden breath of air, my eyes snapped open and for  
a moment at least, I was completely awake.

A city remained completely untouched. It didn't have skyscrapers or thousands upon thousands of criss-  
crossing roads, but was large and wide with all kinds of buildings. And walking around the streets were  
several skitters, mechs, and their other 'support'. I couldn't see the fish-head anywhere, but it was  
probably hiding like they always did, allowing their slaves and pawns to take the hits for it. That's what I  
greatly disliked about the enemy. Our leaders were always putting themselves in the front line of  
danger, and those fish-heads simply continued to hide behind their ships and walls and patrols of things  
that shouldn't have to be there in the first place.

I couldn't see Ben. My only fear was that he had been harnessed again; once again taken away from us  
into a place we couldn't go. I only hoped, if they had done such a thing to him, that we could get him  
back again. Perhaps a bit shell-shocked and choked with nightmares, even a little hurt – but still our Ben.

Angry, I no longer felt the lingering effects of exhaustion. I was going to kill everything here. We had  
very little weaponry, but we'd find a way. My eyes found my dad's whose were filled with knowledge  
and thinking, not hate or anger. He was forming a plan, not trying to jump in head first and get himself,  
or all of us killed. It was a good thing I was not a patrol leader. My emotions would get the best of me –  
especially as of lately – and I would get us all into danger.

"Let's go around the city and try to find a way with less guards. We don't' have the ammunition of

numbers for a full-fledged assault so we are going to have to dodge around the bush. We'll find Ben," he  
said, looking at me closely as though he seemed to know I was considering going off my own and finding  
my brother without care of the rest of the world. I forced myself to relax. We would find him without  
having to put ourselves into so much danger. It'd be fine. The only one we'd really have to kill was the  
fish-head, and any other surviving fish-heads, so that this war would be officially over… except for the  
last few skitters who wanted to continue fighting, but the rest would be taken care of.

The fact that we would all be alright was a relief to me. The Second Mass, wherever she was, would not  
have to deal with any more attacks. They were well protected. I had no idea how much of the human  
race was left, but we had enough to at least start to reform. Only when the enemy was gone could we  
begin to fall back into the schedule of forming a government and a new way of life.

The only thing the fish-heads had done for us was help with population control. The rough fact nearly  
made me wince. That was a way to think about it, but not a good one. Thinking about my mom, I knew  
her death wasn't worth it.

No one's was.

"Let's go," Tom growled, and I began to follow him around the outskirts of the city, keeping my eyes  
close on his back and onto the rest of our team. If we lost sight of one another we may as well be dead.  
We were supposed to have each other's backs, and couldn't do that if we were separated. All eyes must  
be on the perimeter so we did not get sneaked up upon. The deeper we went into the city, the more  
destruction and chaos we saw. Was this really what the fish-heads liked? Destruction, death, pain,  
blood? Was it all they cared about?

In disgust I turned away and kept my eyes forward. There was no movement other than us. No shadows  
shifted. We walked, until we reached the actual centre of the city. There was a ship. And there, lying  
motionless in the dirt, surrounded by mechs and skitters, was Ben. Alive. Unharnessed. Unconscious.

We got down, staying out of sight, our guns aimed at the enemy. Somewhere around was the fish-head.  
We would kill that first. Then we would kill the rest, grab Ben, and run.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** Alright now. Next chapter up! :) Thanks for reads and reviews! I don't really have much to say today... except I want to go back to bed. :P

* * *

**BEN POV**

My eyes drifted open and a long time of lying still, wondering why my limbs were so heavy and why I wasn't dead. I should be dead. That bright light must have been the fire of the ship. I don't remember anything after that. Maybe I was in a place in-between life and death, where I couldn't move, but I simply floated around in silence. There was no pain. I almost expected there to be pain – seeing as pain was practically everywhere else. Maybe death was like this. Maybe we just all lived in a world of darkness, where our bodies are set in stone, left to think and ponder and rest in peace. Perhaps that was where that old saying came from. But no. When my eyes opened, it was not darkness. The darkness was in my own mind. There was a dim light all around me and I was suddenly able to make out a steady hum whistling above me. It didn't hurt my ears or even bother me that much. It was actually quite calming. As I lay there, considering my options, I had the distinct feeling that I was not dead after all and I was some place very different. This was most certainly nothing the Second Mass could ever find. Anything 'human' tended to be loud and blinding.

Where was I? What had happened after the fish-head and the river? Was everyone else okay? Ever so slowly I began to get feeling back in my body, allowing me to, at first begin to move my fingers, toes, hands and eventually most of my body. It would still be a long time before I would be able to get up – I had no strength yet. It felt almost like I had been stunned, except for the headache and the pain. There was none. Which is why I was so confused. I must have been captured somehow, but the biggest surprise for me was that I hadn't died yet.

A door opened. Well, it looked like a door. It wasn't really. It was the top of the space craft simply lifting off, and then it became blinding as I saw the sky. I squeezed my eyes shut immediately, wishing the sudden light away. Gradually, I opened them and allowed my eyes to slowly adjust. The Overlord was standing there, looking down at me, and I somehow noted the presence of the static in my mind. Oddly, I hadn't even noticed it before.

_What did you do?_ I thought, wondering what it had done with me and, of course, the others. There was no response at first. I could feel the alien trying to probe my mind, so I tried my hardest to deny him any right and push him back. Only when it seemed apparent he wouldn't be able to force me into submission did it reply. There was no emotion to it at all. It was as though everything I had thought or said about the 'overlord' was true. They had no emotions. They weren't even close to human. All they really knew was anger, hunger for power and bloodshed and greed. They didn't have the other feelings. The ones that made the living creatures on earth able to continue on and survive. Love, happiness and acceptance. Not all had it. But it was just a start. We could always find ourselves in a worse position. We could be like the overlords. We could all be slaves like the skitters, and be unable to fight the effects of the harness. Why did adults not get harnessed? Were they simply able to fight it off and win? Did the harness not work on them because it couldn't transform their already fully formed minds and body?

_I had need of you_, it responded simply, then turned and walked away. There was no explanation. There was no interest in what I was supposed to do. It simply 'wanted' me for something but it was not going to tell me what. Eventually I was able to sit up, slowly letting my body get used to the feeling of movement. My nerves seemed a bit slow to respond and my muscles were weak and unsteady. But it was slowly getting better, enough so that I could possibly walk.

There was some strange noises outside. When I managed to get to my feet and walk a few steps, I peered out the 'top hatch' that was the door and was immediately welcomed by a skitter. It hissed at me and I took a step back, seeing the thing it had in its hand. It was a long metal stick with some kind of orb-spike at the end that didn't seem like it could stab someone, but could probably do some damage. It looked at me with the all-knowing kind of eyes that told me that it was trying to speak to me. So I let it, guardedly. I was proud of myself. I was fully in control of my mind and body for the first time since I had been harnessed. They couldn't even begin to enter my mind without me allowing it – though I guessed that if I was tired enough then they would be able to get through. There were skitters everywhere that I could see, but other than that one overlord, I saw no others. Perhaps he was the final survivor.

As it ordered me to, I began to step out.

And all hell broke loose.

The head of the skitter in front of me burst into an explosion of blood. The overlord dropped to the ground with a red spray shooting out the back of its head. All around, skitters were going down. I could see no mechs from where I was but they were probably some around here. Realizing what the shooters must be trying to do, I immediately ducked and began to run in that direction. None of us could afford to sit around here longer than we had to. I ran, sensing that skitters were following, but also hearing them drop to the ground dead. Several tried to order me to stop through the static but I blocked them from their mind and even that faded into nothingness. I reached the edge and jumped over it, nearly landing on top of my dad. I rolled around so I was in a position I could move from.

"Go," he ordered me and everyone else, and we began to run back for the trees just in time as the mechs made their way to the battlefield.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.

**Author Notes:** D'oh. Well. heads up. This is fin. Mostly because I'm trying to finish a novel and this always gets shoved back. But. I will be - hopefully - posting some one shots later on. Anyway. Thanks for reading! :D And those new episodes better hurry. I might eventually be able to come up with a long story idea. o;

* * *

**HAL POV**

We had Ben. The fish-head was dead, and so were most of the skitters. The mechs were coming through, and it was time to run. We didn't look back even as their missiles burst against the trees around our heads, the ground behind us, and on occasion, the ground right in front of us. We couldn't risk stopping. There was danger behind us, and we would outrun us. We had a strong sense of relief and pride that we had finally done something to make a real impact on the aliens. We had destroyed their latest base. And if that didn't mean anything then killing their latest fish-head leader sure did. If no other came back then we would probably call this a victory. It _was_ a victory. We had won.

And we were heading home, back to the Second Mass, wherever they were. We just had to find them. That shouldn't be too difficult. Even though sometimes they tended to be a bit out of the way. If we found them easily then so would the fish-heads. We couldn't have that.

-

It turned out to be difficult.

It took us several days to find them, but when we did, we were surprised. There were more people than before, probably sixty new people, and we were told upon arrival that they had found another survivor group struggling along and we had merged. It was a relief. More people, civilians, and fighters. We were more of a resistance group now – or just a survivor's group – than a hardly making it along clan of survivors.

When Weaver spotted us, he headed over and there was something like a smile on his face – should I be worried?

"Good to have you back, Tom. This used to be a city in New Jersey, and with some extra help and more people coming, it will be again."

FIN


End file.
